Side ejection arrangement



- May 28, 1957 E. A. KAMP 2,793,567

SIDE EJECTION ARRANGEMENT Filed Dec. '7, 9.854 2 SheetsSheet 1 INVENTOR. A- Kum]:

ykaizmwaww Ewuld May :28, 1957 E. AQKAMP 2,793,567

SIDE EJECTION ARRANGEMENT Filed Dec. 7, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w m E v F 4 I a IN VEN TOR.

Ewuld A- Kump VM ZM JMM HTTOBN E Y5 SIDE EJECTIGN ARRANGEMENT Ewald A. Kamp, Chicago, 111;, assi'gnor, by mesne assignments, to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Application December 7, 1954, Serial No. 473,768

2 Claims. (Cl. 89-33) My invention relates to a revolver-type automatic weapon and more particularly to a cartridge feed and ejection device therefor.

In the usual revolver-type automatic weapon, a recoil unit supporting a barrel includes a drum provided with cartridge chambers and corresponding index rollers and rotatably disposed with the six oclock drum station of the chambers in axial alignment with the barrel. The weapon is fired by electrical discharge of cartridges chambered in the six oclock station.

The weapon is provided with an actuator constructed for engagement with the index rollers and biased to a battery position to retain a chamber in a firing station. The actuator is slidable in rearward and forward strokes responsive to discharge of cartridges chambered in the firing station to sequentially rotate the chambers to the firing station.

A feeder rotatable with the cartridge drum includes a plurality of sprockets with tooth spaces corresponding to the chambers for rotating cartridges slidably secured in an ammunition belt. A rammer mounted on the actuator projects the cartridges into the chambers as they stop in stations preceding the firing station.

The cases of the discharged cartridges are rearwardly removed from the chambers in the station thereof rotationally following the firing station by an extractor disposed on the recoil unit. The extractor is pivoted to propel the cartridges rearwardly responsive to the forward stroke of the actuator. During extraction, the path of the discharged cartridge cases passes through the sprocket tooth spaces corresponding to the extraction station and in the comparatively slow original weapons, such passage was accomplished without difficulty.

As the rate of fire of the weapon was increased, however, it was found that the extracted case interfered with the teeth of the sprockets remote from the barrel to cause malfunctions of the weapon.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide an extraction mechanism for such a weapon to accommodate increased rate of operation thereof.

Another object of my invention is to provide such a weapon with a device for guiding discharged cartridge cases from the drum thereof.

A further object of my invention is to provide such a weapon with a device for guiding discharged cartridge cases in a path free from interference with the sprockets of the feeder.

Other aims and objects of my invention will appear from the following explanation thereof.

In carrying out my invention, a semicylindrical chute is disposed on the recoil unit with one end adjacent the extraction station. The chute is provided with an intermediate slit for rotation therethrough of the sprocket of the feeder adjacent the drum, and the chute is longitudinal'ly curved to guide the discharged cartridge cases away from the remaining sprockets of the feeder.

For a more complete understanding of my invention 2,793,567 Patented May 28, 1957 ice 1 thereof;

Fig. 2 is a view along theline 2- -2 of Fig. 1 with a cartridge belt shown in position in the Weapon;

Fig. 3 is a view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view along the line 44 of Fig. 3 with the front sprocket in rotation through the discharged cartridge case guide.

Accordingly, an automatic weapon 12 includes a recoil unit 14 with a barrel 16 secured thereon slidably disposed on a receiver 17. A drum 18 including cartridge chambers 20 and corresponding radial index rollers 22 is rotatably disposed on recoil unit 14 to convey the chambers to a firing station in axial alignment with barrel 16. A cartridge 24 is shown chambered in the firing station in Fig. 2.

An actuator 26 is biased to a battery position by springs 28 engaging receiver 17 for battery position engagement with one of the index rollers as in Fig. l to retain the chamber corresponding thereto in the firing station. Actuator 26 is slidable in rearward and forward strokes for engagement with rollers 22 to successively convey chambers 20 to the firing station and to the immediately following discharge station responsive to discharge of cartridges 24 chambered therein.

Weapon 12 includes a feeder 30 having a frame 32 secured to recoil unit 14 and frame 32 includes a tray 34 for supporting a cartridge belt 36 having cartridges 24 slidably secured therein as in Fig. 2. Feeder 30 includes a shaft 40 removably secured to drum 18 for rotation therewith and sprockets secured to shaft 40 including forward and rearward cartridge sprockets 42 and 44 and a link sprocket 46 therebetween for engagement with cartridge belt 36. The tooth spaces of the sprockets are disposed in correspondence with chambers 20. Sprocket 42 is provided with stub teeth for engagement with the projectile ends of cartridges 24.

The sprockets convey cartridges 24 to the pair of stations preceding the firing station for ramming, and the cartridges are chambered in the drum by means of a rammer (not shown) of actuator 26.

Cases 48 of cartridges 24 are removed from drum 18 in the chamber discharge station by an extractor 50 disposed on recoil unit 14. Extractor 50 is disposed for engagement with actuator 26 in the last portion of the forward stroke thereof, to rotate and remove case 48 from the extraction chamber, as the actuator slides into battery position. A case 48 is shown in the process of removal from an extraction station chamber 20 in Figs. 2 and 3.

One end 52, of a substantially semicyclindrical chute 54, is disposed adjacent the extraction station, and the chute is provided with a slit 56 for rotation therethrough of the teeth of sprocket 42. A curved portion 58 of chute 54 is disposed adjacent the path of sprockets 44 and 46. Stub teeth of forward sprocket 42 are formed for minimum depth of slit 56.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail herein, it is evident that many variations may be devised within the spirit and scope thereof and the following claims are intended to include such variations.

I claim:

1. In an automatic weapon including a recoil unit, a drum thereon provided with chambers for cartridges and rotatively disposed to sequentially convey the cartridges to a firing station for discharge thereof and the cases of the cartridges to an extraction station responsive to the discharge, a feeder including spaced sprockets with tooth spaces corresponding to the chambers secured to the drum for rotation therewith, andan extractor for projection of the discharged cartridge ca ses rearwardly from the extraction station responsive to the discharge, a guide 3 device comprising a cylindrical chute, including a section adjacent the extraction station, an intermediate curved 1 section'provided with a transverse slit for rotation therein of the one of the sprockets adjacent the drum, and an end section adjacent theremainder of the sprockets to 10 direct the cases from the extraction station.

2. A guide device as described in claim 1 with said device provided with a semicylindrical cross-section and secured to the recoil unit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS France Oct. 6, 1913 

